Last Shirai Ryu
by Arbiter Of Fire
Summary: I was an orphan on the streets. One of thousands if not millions in the world. Then one man saved me and all I held dear. In return I gave him my loyalty and his Clan my services. Then disaster after disaster stripped me of all that I cared for until there was only me. I am Aka the Last Shirai Ryu and no one will shall forget the Clan as I live. OC POV, I don't own Mortal Kombat.
1. Rise and Fall

**Rise And Fall**

I cursed to myself as I ran through the streets towards the marketplace. Midori should know better than to listen to Takeo when it comes to getting supplies for the Den. It was too soon and the merchants would be on lookout for us. I was not going to let her be harmed because of Takeo being an idiot. In my haste I knocked down a woman, I quickly looked back to see her looking back at me stunned.

"Sorry Lady!" I called back to her even as I continued to run. I heard shouting and made my way to it just in time to see a merchant raise a knife while his other hand held the wrist of a tiny girl; Midori. I wasted no time in closing the gap as he brought the knife down. I knew I couldn't stop it so I threw my six year old body at him to redirect it. The noisy marketplace quickly became silent as the man screamed as the knife took his hand.

"Aka!" Midori cheered through tears as I took the hand off of her and fled with her in my arms. Thanks to our size no one could properly follow us in such a busy place but I took the long route just in case. "Midori scared. Bad merchant hit Midori." I looked at the four year old and saw the beginnings of bruising. I slowed down a little as I caught my breath.

"He's hurting a lot more than you are now Midori, as will Takeo when I get my hands on him. Why did you go when you knew we needed to wait?" Despite her age and way of speaking Midori was no idiot. She looked down when I asked her that.

"Midori did wait. Takeo said Midori wait enough. Takeo said Midori need to earn keep. Midori wants to stay with Aka." I forced a smile onto my face as I held her close.

"You don't need to earn your keep until you reach six, Midori. That's the rules of Den." The Den was a gathering of Orphans that lived on the street and with how dangerous it was for us all barely any reached their teens and those that did usually get themselves killed for various reasons. Starting earlier happened sometimes, like I did, but six was the usual age. I walked into the Den just as she fell asleep and allowed the anger I felt show on my face.

"Aka! Takeo is up to something. He's been declaring you dead and is trying to get everyone to do as he says." Jin, the current lookout, said with a worried look. My expression darkened at that since it was obvious that Takeo had tried to set me up to die. I nodded to Jin before putting Midori in her sleeping area. I then decided to deal with Takeo now.

"…long we have merely survived. For too long we have been content with walking to our deaths." Takeo's voice said as I neared the eating room. "While Aka made good arguments for not rocking the boat he is, sadly, no longer among us. I received word he was killed trying to save Midori."

"Actually, I'm right here." I said aloud interrupting the eleven year old. I wasn't really moved by the speech that he made several times over the last few years while trying to turn us into a mini Lin Kuei. There was a healthy fear of the Clan as they had kidnapped a few of us to become a part of their Clan. "I managed to get Midori, who you sent out when it clearly wasn't safe, before she had her hand cut off. Could you explain to me why you did that?" As expected he looked furious that I was there.

"You're supposed to be dead!" I was the only one unsurprised when he pulled out a knife and charged me. What did surprise me was the symbol of the Lin Kuei on the handle and the fact that a man in yellow appeared between us holding Takeo's wrist.

"I had heard of a hidden village of orphans." The man said before snapping Takeo's wrist. Everyone backed off as Takeo screamed in pain while the man talked over him. "Imagine my surprise when I heard that the Lin Kuei planned to raid it thanks to a traitor." I wasn't the only one that put two and two together. "My Clan has searched to warn you all but couldn't find you, until my fiancé was knocked down by a kid that then took a merchant's hand and followed him here."

"Please stop the dramatics Hanzo. They're only children and you're showing off." A woman's voice said making us all turn from the man to see the woman I accidently knocked down earlier standing next to a sleepy but awake Midori.

"Sorry Kana. For all but this traitor here on behalf of the Shirai Ryu I would extend the offer of asylum in our Village and acceptance into our ranks if, and only if, you wish to." He said making everyone stare at him in shock since there were around thirty kids here and feeding us all wasn't easy. If the Lin Kuei were willing to kidnap us all then this would be our best shot.

LSR

"AGAIN!" Hanzo barked as I ran through the kata he taught me. Most of the kids had joined the Shirai Ryu in order to pay the Clan back for giving us all a place to call home. It also helped that Kana was in charge of the New Den and treated us all with more kindness than we ever had before. Hanzo had taken me on as an apprentice and had been training me in Aikido, armed and unarmed, as well as Ninjutsu.

"Yes Master!" I roared as I seamlessly switched from were I was in the Kata back to the beginning. I had been doing it nearly non-stop for two years so it wasn't really a surprise that I could do it so well. Hanzo was a skilled teacher. I was midway through a palm strike when a foot was aimed at my head. I ducked under it and grabbed the follow up punch with both hands and twist it until Hanzo was bent over a little and had his back to me.

"Excellent!" He said as I let go of him and I could tell he was smiling widely at me despite his face being covered. "I expect you to keep doing the Kata in your own time from now on. I will be working on the more advanced techniques from now on as well as actual sparring. However it is time you get your Codename. This will be what you will be known as throughout your career. After a lot of thought and asking others about you I have decided to give you the Codename Badger." I had to stop myself gaping when he reached into the bag he brought with him and handed me pauldrons with decorative badger claws on them and a sword, tanto and staff all with the claw pattern too.

"Thank you Master." I said honestly as I accepted them with a bow. I almost dropped them when Midori slammed into me. "Midori, what have I told you about slamming into me like that?" The now-seven year old had become even more energetic as time went on and was the only one from the Den that I really had contact with since my apprenticeship was with the man that busted us and killed Takeo in front of us. Despite the fact that he was a traitor they didn't take his death well.

"You said not to do it but you finally got your Codename!" Midori said no longer speaking brokenly or in third person as she smiled widely at me. I shook my head at her while Kana, who had came with her, walked up to Hanzo and kissed him. Their wedding was going to happen soon and neither of them could wait. Midori's smile then fled and she looked down. "Although that does mean you'll be going on missions now."

"He will only be going on simple assignments until he's older and they will all be monitored by me or another Ninja around my level. The Shirai Ryu looks after our own." Hanzo said making her sag in relief while I rolled my eyes. I hated being reminded by my age but at least Hanzo wasn't condescending about it.

LSR

I rubbed my face as I walked towards Kana's home were she was taking care of her six month old son Jubei and wondered how the hell I was going to tell her the bad news. I had went on my first solo mission after two years of being monitored by senior Ninja and I had been smiling at my success before it was wiped from my face by the Grandmaster's face when I went to report to him. After I gave the report I was told the bad news and had volunteered to tell Kana.

"Wow, you don't look so good Aka. Was your first mission that bad?" Midori said as she walked up to me in her new uniform having accepted the offer of apprenticeship from the Grandmaster's daughter. Her teasing grin dropped as soon as she got a good look at my face.

"Would you mind going to get the New Den around to Kana's. She's going to need all the support she can get." I said honestly while holding up a shattered chain that had ice on it making her eyes go wide. She ran off without any more needing to be said. I walked on and sighed when I saw that Kana was sitting on the swing seat beside her front door while holding a sleeping Jubei. She looked up and smiled as she saw me.

"Hello Aka, are you alright? You don't look so well." Kana asked in concern just as I saw the remaining members of the New Den come around the corner.

"Kana Hasashi." I said formally making her eyes go wide and fear fill them as there were only a few things that would need to be delivered so formally. The only thing I liked about the formality was that it gave the others time to get here. "It is with great regret that I inform you that your husband, Hanzo Hasashi, has fallen in the line of duty to the Clan." I barely kept the wince in as she let out such a pained and distressed wail waking up Jubei who proceeded to cry his little lungs out at the feelings he felt from his mother.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Midori said as she gently took Jubei and started a group hug with the mourning woman at the centre. I watched numbly unable to bring myself to join in. I would miss Hanzo but there was no way he would want me to lose myself in grief when I could be helping look after his family.

"Aka?" Jin asked from the outside of the hug. "Who did it?" He was one of the few that thanked Hanzo for bringing us here.

"He fell to a Lin Kuei by the name of Bi-Han but he is widely known as Sub-Zero, a Cyromancer and of their best." I said as I fought to keep my rage down. It always came back to the Lin Kuei.

"Do us all a favour and don't go after him. I doubt she could take you dying too." I nodded giving my word since I knew I was no match for Bi-Han as I was but there was more than one way to skin a cat and I wasn't going to run if I met the bastard. That didn't stop me being annoyed when the Grandmaster sent for me to do another mission.

LSR

I ran as fast as I could as I saw smoke bellowing over the area that the Village was in. Considering how everything seemed to be going to shit since Hanzo's death it wouldn't surprise me if it was the worst possible possibility happening right now. My eyes widened as I saw men in suits hanging around the village borders. I used my new trick to become wind and get past them before they could even try and stop me. I ran through the village and my stomach dropped with every dead body I saw. I stalled completely as I saw someone very familiar lying dead outside Kana's home.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…" I muttered as I quickly checked Midori for a pulse hoping against all hope that my eyes weren't truly seeing her nearly cleaved in half but the lack of pulse and cold skin told me my eyes weren't lying. Midori, the girl I had looked after since she was brought to the Den, was dead.

"I had hoped my men would have kept you out but considering your reputation it isn't a surprise they couldn't." A tired voice said from behind me said. "Since you've got this far you may as well finish." I sent a quick glance at the voice, the owner being an old saddened man in a suit, before slowly and shakily rising to my feet and walking towards the house. I opened the door and felt even number as I saw Kana with fear written all over her face and Jubei pinned to the wall.

"Who did this?" I asked quietly as I felt rage build up. When he didn't answer immediately I turned to glare at him only to pause as tears ran down his face.

"From what we've been able to find out it was the Lin Kuei led by the one known as Sub Zero. Why would they slaughter innocents? There have been issues with them before but nothing like this. My daughter and grandson didn't deserve this." He completely breaking down as he looked at Kana, after a few minutes he sorted himself out. "Hanzo had me keep a copy of all of his scrolls in case something like this happened. They're yours once we sort out were you're going to stay. As of now you're the Last Shirai Ryu."


	2. Walking The Path

**Walking the Path**

"You know, when you said you were going to set me up in a place to stay I didn't expect it to be outside Japan." I said to Kenji Satou as he drove us to the airport. I had gotten to know the man and found that he was the one that Kana got her kind nature from even if his was marred from seeing the worst the world had to offer.

"You're a target and as skilled as you are you won't be able to match the ones coming for you unless they underestimate you. I have a feeling you'll be involved in things I would rather you weren't but that's neither here nor there. You're only ten and despite your training you are considered a minor. The grandson of a friend of mine has agreed to take you in no questions asked. I just ask that you don't kill him for getting on your nerves." Kenji said making me raise an eyebrow at him until I saw who was waiting for us.

"Please tell me he isn't as annoying as he is on the TV." I begged Kenji only to get a grimace as Johnny Cage smiled at us. Seeing his deadpanned look I gaped at him.

"So this is the kid…he needs to loosen up a little." Johnny said from the other side of the open window. I sent him a deadpanned look making his smile drop a little. "Okay he really needs to loosen up."

"He's been through a lot in his life, John. Don't expect him to act like others his age. I also suggest you get him learning a martial art that teaches restraint. His past Guardian wasn't the kind of person to hold back much." Kenji said before looking at me. "I know this isn't really your thing but you need to be kept safe right now and he can do that." I nodded as Johnny opened the door for me before going for my luggage in the boot of the car.

"I guess I better get introductions out of the way, I'm Aka." I said holding my hand out to him knowing that was more relevant than a bow to Americans. Johnny smirked before taking my hand with his free one.

"The name's Johnny, Johnny Cage. Listen, I've got a few things to do in France so when we get there you might have to take care of yourself since my Manager refused to get an assistant to keep everything straight. There was a martial art I was thinking of learning in my free time but won't be able to. You can learn that." I sighed and nodded knowing it was better to go with the flow for now.

LSR

"Arthur, why did I get another complaint from your Sensei that you hospitalised one of your fellow students?" Johnny said in a tone that told me he already knew the answer and was only asking for the sake of asking. I had to roll my eyes at the fake name he had me attend under. Arthur Carlton was the foreign cousin to John Carlton through a previously unknown night of passion with a foreign student. The scandal meant I was in the news almost as much as Johnny was as his career plummeted and kept the Lin Kuei from acting against me for now.

"Shinji was trying to get Sakura alone with a creepy look on his face again. I know what that leads to and there is no way I'm allowing that to happen to Sakura." I said flatly to him getting a nod. "Why haven't they been separated?" Sakura and Shinji had appeared out of nowhere and were currently being fostered by one of Johnny's co actor's. It was clear to everyone that Sakura was abused and yet no one else did anything.

"They all seem to think he can be redeemed or simply point out that Sakura hasn't said anything. Just please don't kill the idiot, you'll be the main suspect should anything happen to him." I sighed knowing he was right but I was sure it was worth it. The only reason I didn't do it was because Sakura, who reminded me of a more subdued and submissive Midori, asked me not to. There was a knock at the door making me frown before Johnny opened it. "Sakura, what happened?"

"Shinji was just killed by an ice wielding shinobi in blue." Sakura said in an odd daze that seemed to be part elation and part confusion. I froze at the description and turned to Johnny who frowned as if trying to remember something. I just started to move to my room when it clicked for him.

"Arthur, you are not going after the Lin Kuei." He said as I grabbed my Shinobi gear. "We talked about this."

"During which I told you I wasn't going to back down from." I said as I secured my weapons to my back and walked past a confused Sakura. "I won't start a fight this time for what he did for Sakura but I will defend myself." I became wind and easily found the scene. I allowed a dark grin to appear when I saw what remained of Shinji slowly melt away. I glimpsed a shimmer of blue on a rooftop and appeared behind it as wind making the Lin Kuei get ready for a fight.

"Shirai Ryu!" The teen spat making me snort as I recognised him.

"What, ashamed that your elder brother failed to slaughter us all, Tundra?" I asked darkly as I folded my arms. "You took my target."

"He was a stain that needed to be removed." He said slowly getting out of stance but kept his guard up. "The Lin Kuei had nothing to do with your Clan's demise." I looked at him closely and shook my head at his naivety.

"I know you honestly believe that but with how your Clan operates, I very much doubt you were told the truth of the matter." I knew that was true with the Shirai Ryu as well but his assured attitude annoyed me. "I merely came here to show that the Lin Kuei failed. If we meet again I won't be so nice." I disappeared in the wind and watched him from a distance, inwardly amused at how his eyes darted around for me.

LSR

"You're learning quickly." I said to Sakura as I recovered from her hold. After I returned from my talk with Tundra I had explained everything to her and getting her true story in return. Like how she was once Sakura Tohsaka and second daughter of the Magi Head of the Tohsaka only to be given away to the Matou which led to a life of hell until a Vampire decided to make things interesting by sending her and Shinji here. I had used Ninjutsu to return her insides to what they should be without those vile Worms. When she told me she would have to return I offered to teach her Aikido, although in a softer way than I was taught as that would bring unpleasant memories back to her.

"I have a good Sensei. You're also still recovering from your fight with Mr Cage." Sakura said with a small smile that turned to a grimace at the mention of the fight. He hadn't been happy to be ignored and realised I would likely ignore him again unless he forced me to listen. The fight had been just as brutal as my training with Hanzo and I could see his self-loathing every time it was brought up.

"He was in the right Sakura. My anger and previous success were making me arrogant and ignorant. Tundra, while young, has a reputation that exceeds my own. Such reputations are hard earned even when seeking them. My stupidity could have brought the entire weight of the Lin Kuei down upon us." I was irritated that I was slowly gaining traits I hated Takeo for before his death. "Johnny did what he had to in order to make me listen. That is not a fault of his but mine."

"I'm sorry. You've helped me a lot so I find it difficult to see you harmed." I smiled softly at her for the concern despite what hell she had been put through. Even the Darkest story in the Den paled in comparison to hers. I would have to ask this Vampire if I could accompany her when she returned so I could show my displeasure with this Zouken Matou.

"Sometimes we must fall to truly rise. Johnny has been good to me despite our snark fests. I heard that your guardian isn't taking Shinji's death well." The man was seen in tears all of the time and Sakura had taken to hanging around me to get away from him.

"Yes, it has been decided that I will be removed from his care but they're still trying to find a worthy candidate considering what they know of my past." She said alluding to what Shinji did to her.

"Not any more." Johnny's voice said from the house making us turn to see him standing with a grin on his face. "That was my lawyer just letting me know that my application to become your guardian was approved. In fact you are now considered my little Sister according to records. Although the bad news is the increased scrutiny has unearthed Arthur as a fake. I assured them that I didn't want charges pressed and wanted to keep being his guardian."

"That's fine. We always knew it would get out anyway." I said with a shrug as Sakura started to look ashamed. "This merely has it put in a softer light than if someone found it with less noble purposes."

"True but the scandal is bad enough that I will be helping you both with your fighting styles as well as teaching Sakura either Jeet Kune Do or Karate." Johnny said before giving me a look. "You're still learning Savate so I'll wait until you have finished with that before teaching you another style." I nodded knowing it was better to master what I knew than to add more unnecessarily.

LSR

"You do know that this invitation is more than it seems, don't you?" I asked Johnny as I looked at his invitation to a Tournament called Mortal Kombat. I had heard of it from the Scrolls of the Shirai Ryu as they had been hired by both Earthrealm and Outworld during them. I had no doubt the Lin Kuei would be there this time.

"It's just a tournament Arthur. I doubt it is anything like that Heaven's Feel bull that Sakura has to get involved in." He said as he guided the blossoming beauty through a Karate kata, she had taken more to that than the Jeet Kune Do but not quite as well as Aikido. His new Mobile went off making him sigh as he answered. "Cage here, talk to me." Sakura stopped and made her way over to me.

"You're going to follow him to the Tournament, aren't you?" She asked in a whisper making me nod. There was no way I was going to leave Johnny to do this alone or pass up a chance to take the Lin Kuei down a peg. The only problem is the fact that it would leave Sakura alone. "Zelretch has agreed to teach me Magecraft while you're away."

"Good, I was worried about leaving you alone and I doubt the Vampire will harm you." I said letting out a quiet sigh. I had met the man and while he was annoying, even more so than Johnny when he was in the mood, he clearly was a man of his word and held a soft spot for Sakura.

"No but he did joke that you would find a way to kill him if he did." I merely nodded making a small smile appear on her face just as Johnny hung up.

"That was my sister Rebecca. She agreed to watch over you two while I'm away." He said making me roll my eyes as I knew that the woman was just as annoying as Johnny but had a heart of gold like he did even if she did have a habit of hacking things that could be tracked to her. I just hoped Sakura could convince her to keep from calling Johnny when she realised I wasn't here.

LSR

I sighed as Johnny made a fool of himself while trying to seduce an attractive blonde, clearly military, who clearly had no time for his tomfoolery. Unfortunately for her that merely made him try harder as very few would tell him to get stuffed straight to his face. I was a bit smug when he realised that I had been right as soon as he saw the Tarkatan use its blades during their fight. As soon as he left to follow the woman, her name was Sonya Blade from what I heard, Shang Tsung spoke up.

"We have time for one more fight. I propose Badger and Rain." Shang Tsung said with a wide grin on his face making me roll my eyes before stepping out of the shadows much to the confusion of everyone minus Shang Tsung.

"You would have me fight a _child_?!" A Purple clad shinobi said looking at me in distaste making me snort.

"This coming from the man in Purple, does it bring out the colour of your eyes or do you wear it because it makes you feel pretty?" I asked in a mocking tone making him growl. It was then I realised I had spent way too much time around Johnny but the look on the veiled man's face made it worthwhile.

"Begin!" Shang Tsung shouted making Rain send a lightning bolt at me. I dispelled it with a wind pillar from above me and countered with a fireball. Despite his shock he countered with a ball of water which created a mist between us. I grabbed my kunai spear and threw it at him through the mist.

"GET OVER HERE!" I pulled him through the mist and landed a back kick to his stomach. He disappeared in a flash of lightning and appeared behind me. I lashed out with an elbow that he caught but it allowed me to turn and kick at his head. He ducked under it but I allowed my other foot to leave the ground and kick his face forcing him to let go. I flipped to my feet and attacked him furiously.

"Perhaps I was hasty in calling you a child." Rain said begrudgingly as he barely defended himself. "But you cannot best a God." I replied by slamming multiple Wind Pillars down onto him before taking my Jo and knocking him into the air before slamming him back down to the ground. I replaced it and slammed a Fire Blast in his face knocking him out.

"Some God." I said with a snort as two Guards held him up. I heard chuckling and turned to Shang Tsung as he quietened down.

"An interesting fight for one so young, the Shirai Ryu taught you well." He said before looking at me expectantly.

"Why should I kill him when the humiliation of being beaten by a child will hurt his pride more? I am not here to cater to your whims Sorcerer." I said with steel in my tone making him laugh before he dismissed everyone. I glared at the Lin Kuei as they sneered at me while leaving.

"Badger, I was very surprised to see you here." A wraith said walking towards me from the other side that the Earthrealm Combatants, minus Johnny and Sonya, were. I looked at the thing that used to be Hanzo and sighed inwardly at him allowing this to happen to himself.

"Not as much as I was to see you standing next to that Demon. What were you thinking in following Quan Chi of all people?!" I hissed at him knowing that Quan Chi would have him doing things he would never have considered if he was alive.

"I will have Vengeance for our Clan!" He shouted making me shake my head before getting in his face as best I could with the height difference.

"How will Vengeance bring them back? How will they rest easy in the after life if we commit atrocities in their name? No, I will have revenge in my own way by undermining them and have them tear themselves apart. I will not become a monster they would be ashamed of!" His eyes narrowed as he shook with rage before storming off. "HANZO!" I shouted at his back making him freeze. "Should we fight in Mortal Kombat I will pay my debt to you by sending you to Kana and Jubei!" I sighed as he walked of and turned to the Combatants. "Hi"

"I was not aware that we had a Shirai Ryu fighting for us." Raiden, the God of Thunder and Lightning, said with a thoughtful frown on his face. "May I ask where you learnt to use your Fire and Wind? They seem familiar for some reason."

"I was born with them." I said with a shrug. "My time with the Clan merely earned me the discipline to use them without harm." It was then that Johnny returned with Blade and a large black man. He did not look happy to see me in the slightest.


	3. Tournament's End

**Tournament's End**

"I didn't take Cage for someone that handles responsibility well." Sonya said as I healed her wounds while Raiden tended to her friend Jax and Liu Kang informed Johnny of the truth of the Mortal Kombat Tournament.

"Don't be fooled by the smile and flirting." I warned her keeping amusement out of my tone. "There is a lot to Johnny that he doesn't let most see because they're too shallow for him. The fool act is a defence and a test. Sure he is a little arrogant but until now the one closest to being able to match him is me and I'm still a twelve year old no matter how skilled I am."

"Why is a pre-teen here in the first place? I can't imagine you got an invitation." I chuckled as I finished healing and sat beside her.

"No I didn't but I was expected hence the use of my Codename. I'm here because I knew what this place was really all about and wasn't about to let one of the people I'm in debt to get involved in something like this without my help. That plus I'm getting to piss of the Lin Kuei who slaughtered my Clan."

"I heard about your confrontation with that white eyed ninja in yellow. What was that all about?" She asked cautiously knowing that it was clearly personal but clearly wanting to know more about the world she found herself in.

"My first memory is me sitting in an alley in Japan trying to walk rather than crawl. My second is finding an abandoned baby girl while I was basically one myself. Later we were found and brought to what was known as the Den. It was basically a place where all children who were unwanted to band together for survival. When I was six I found out that one of the older boys, who had always craved dominion over us, had sent Midori, the baby I had found, to retrieve some food during a time when it wasn't safe. He wanted to martyr us before taking control and selling us out to the Lin Kuei who still have the practice of kidnapping children and turning them into assassins."

"Are you telling me that the Shirai Ryu didn't do that?" She asked looking unconvinced.

"The Founder of the Shirai Ryu was a Lin Kuei that had been kidnapped and resented them since. It was proof that taking the unwilling was unlikely to provoke loyalty from them. When the boy, little younger than I am now, tried to kill me a man appeared between us and snapped his wrist. In my haste to save Midori I had knocked over his fiancé. He exposed the plot and offered to take us into his Clan's Territory. Most became Shinobi or Kunoichi but those that didn't still helped in their own way. The man then took me as his apprentice and his wife became the unofficial Mother of the New Den."

"I don't mean to belittle your tale but that sounds like a set up to me." She said making me nod.

"True and by the time I had spent some time with the Clan I had that doubt too. So after I completed my first solo mission I infiltrated the Lin Kuei Headquarters and found out that there really was a conspiracy against us. They were furious when they found Takeo's body and the Den empty. Anyway, that man that saved me and the Den was Hanzo Hasashi. After I reached the Clan I was informed he had been killed by the Lin Kuei. A few months later the Lin Kuei led by Sub Zero, the one credited with Hanzo's death, wiped out the village. Midori, Jin, Jubei and Kana all dead. I have spent the last two years gaining strength so I may take my revenge in ways that I can meet them in the afterlife with my head held high. Unfortunately it seems Hanzo was revived by a demon and dead set on Vengeance."

"I am glad you are avoiding such a destructive path." Nightwolf, the Shaman fighting alongside us, said as he sat across from us. "I will try and guide Hanzo from his self destructive path."

"Don't try Shaman, he will likely take it as a great insult. The only reason he didn't lash out at me was because of our past together. What do you make of Raiden having visions, ones that don't have me in them?"

"I believe that the mere act of sending his memories back caused ripples. From what you said it was merely a fluke that you joined the Shirai Ryu. Perhaps he ignored you in Raiden's past." I nodded as that could explain it but with how the visions clearly gnawed at the God I doubted they would be ignored. I just hoped that they didn't cause him to loose sight of his goals.

LSR

I sighed as I finished healing Kung Lao just in time to see Scorpion defeat Nightwolf. It hurt to see the man I respected so much act like an untamed beast bellowing for his killer. I just hope that Kana couldn't see what happened to her husband from the afterlife. I narrowed my eyes as Raiden spoke privately with Scorpion. I barely respected the God before he started talking of his visions. I knew to ignore them was folly but then again so was relying on them almost exclusively.

"So that's the man that raised you." Johnny said eyeing Scorpion as he started his fight with Cyrax and Sektor of the Lin Kuei. "Do you think he can win?" I watched carefully and wondered what Raiden had said to distract him from using killing blows.

"Yes, he is stronger now than when he lived. The Lin Kuei, while skilled, cannot match him. However, whatever Raiden spoke to him about is distracting him enough that he has yet to launch a killing strike." That worried me a lot considering the one track mind he had right now and anything that could derail it had to do with the Clan.

"Are you sure? They look pretty ready to kill each other to me." Johnny said looking back to the fight just as Sektor was beat down.

"They're Lin Kuei and they still live." I said just as Cyrax was defeated. Johnny grimaced since I hadn't let go of my own hatred of them and Hanzo's was clearly worse than mine. I tensed as Sub Zero appeared for the first time since the start of the Tournament. I had to keep a tight reign on my anger as this man was the one to kill Hanzo and led the slaughter of the Shirai Ryu personally.

"To Hell with your Clan!" Sub Zero snarled as I refocused on what was happening.

"NO! To Hell with you!" Hanzo snarled back before grabbing him and teleporting out of the room together.

"Shit!" I called out getting a head slap from Sonya.

"Watch the Language." She said sternly before frowning. "Exactly how bad is this going to be?"

"Only one of them will be coming back. I don't know which because Sub Zero was the one to kill Hanzo in the first place. Also take into account that everything points to Sub Zero leading the Massacre of the Shirai Ryu personally and the fight is going to be brutal. Perhaps it is a good thing Hanzo took it elsewhere."

"Hanzo will not kill Sub Zero." Raiden said getting incredulous looks from everyone, even from Liu Kang who was clearly respectful of the Thunder God.

"I don't know what you've been watching but every sentence out of Scorpion's mouth has been a demand to fight Sub Zero. The man is out for blood and will take it if given the chance." Jax said piping up with a frown on his face.

"If he spares Sub Zero then I will partition the Elder Gods to return the Shirai Ryu to life." He rebuked making us all gawk at him until I moved and punched him in the face dropping him to the ground.

"How dare you?! Such an action goes against the nature of the world! If they are revived then great chaos shall be wrought upon them as balance or they will be mere shadows of themselves!" I shouted at the stupid God while Johnny pulled me back from him and Liu Kang helped him to his feet.

"I had to keep him from killing Sub Zero or a great evil will be born. Your Clan is the only thing I could bargain with." He defended himself making me lunge for him again.

"Or it could lead to a second massacre or even the great evil coming to be in another form! Do not rely on the Visions Raiden or you will ruin us all!" I snarled at him as Scorpion returned with his head down. I sighed when he raised his right hand with a skull with part of the spine still attached.

LSR

"So there are only two of us left and I've only fought once." I said after healing Johnny from his defeat by Cyrax. "Chances are I will have to fight first just to get me out of the way." The others nodded in agreement since it was clear I wasn't as skilled as Liu Kang from our training.

"True, they will likely have this be our last day here." Nightwolf said with confidence giving the impression that he believed we would win.

"Next will be Badger vs. Scorpion." Shang Tsung said in clear glee as Scorpion appeared in a flash of fire much quieter than he had been before.

"This is bullshit, how can he force these two to fight?" Sonya said as I walked in front of my old Master and entered my Savate stance while he entered his Hapkido stance.

"That isn't Aikido." Hanzo said in curiosity making me snort.

"I would be fool to fight you with the style you taught me as my main style. I was never a fool." He hummed in agreement. There was a tense silence as neither of us moved for a few minutes. I swayed to the side as he closed the gap and started to test my defences. I easily fended off the early attacks, Hanzo having started around the level I was when he had died, but quickly found myself having to use all of my skills and cunning to keep him off kilter.

"You've gotten stronger." He said as a palm strike to his chest made some distance between us. I couldn't react quickly enough as he created a portal behind him and grabbing me from behind. "But you still have a lot to learn." I didn't speak as I twisted in his grip and held him as I lifted my feet from the ground and using the momentum to flip us so he was on his back. I used his surprise at the action to break out, flip to my feet and stomp at his head.

"Do not talk to me about getting stronger!" I snapped at him as he blocked the stomp and redirected my foot allowing him to get to his feet. I used the momentum to land a powerful back hand strike that forced him back again. "Your death devastated Kana so badly she almost neglected Jubei!" He barely managed to block my kick before I reached for my tanto. "Without Kana all of the decisions of the Den fell to me!"

"Kana wasn't the only adult helping the Den." He replied pulling a sword from his back. The air was filled with the sound of clashing metal as I tried to get through his defences while keeping my own up.

"They never really made more than the token effort. You put more effort in and Kana threw herself into it." I grabbed a kunai and renewed my attack forcing him to draw his other sword. It didn't help that I was now using my Fire-Porting which he countered with his Portals. "I had to keep their spirits up between missions. I had to ensure that the young ones were looked after. Then came the day I finished a mission only to find death."

"So that's how you survived. Your missions were only added to the files after they were done. Mine were the same." I discarded my kunai for a roped one and managed to loop it around his neck stopping our clashes.

"Yes, but that didn't stop the pain of seeing the Clan dead. Of finding Midori cut in half, Jubei pinned to a wall and Kana butchered as if set upon by wild dogs." I growled into his ear making him still before he burst into flames and, after the rope burned, slamming me into the ground hard enough to wind me. I didn't see the boot that knocked me out but I sure as hell felt it.


End file.
